Crop Circles
by sasha1600
Summary: Sequel to Brotherly Love. Gibbs responds to Tony’s sense of humour. Warning: spanking of adult. Don’t like? Don’t read!
1. Chapter 1

**Crop Circles**

**Summary:** Sequel to Brotherly Love. Gibbs responds to Tony's sense of humour. **Warning:** spanking of adult. Don't like? Don't read!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them, I just play with them.

* * *

A/N: This is part of my 'Lessons' series and builds on a larger plot arc. It takes place later the same day as Brotherly Love and probably won't make much sense unless you read that story first. Thanks to KlairI for suggesting the title for this one.

* * *

**Warning: This story contains the disciplinary spanking of an adult. If you have a problem with that, click on that 'back' button now. You've been warned.**

* * *

Tony stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the team's section of the bullpen. Gibbs was, as expected, sitting at his desk, but McGee was nowhere to be seen. More surprisingly, his desk looked like he had already left for the night.

Tony swung his bag off of his shoulder and deposited it on the floor beside his desk and dumped his jacket on his chair before turning towards his boss with a raised eyebrow.

'I don't think the old lady across the street is going to be very useful, Boss. I went over her description with her again, and...'

'Doesn't matter now, DiNozzo. We know who did it.'

Tony stared at him, a bit surprised that the case had been broken so easily, a bit put out that it had been done in his absence, and more than a bit miffed that nobody had bothered to call and _tell_ him that at any point during his interminable conversation with a witness who made Ducky seem concise.

'The boyfriend turned himself in to Metro. Full confession.'

Tony blinked, not really believing that it had been so simple.

'And that's it?'

'For now. We can't do anything until we talk to him, but it sounds pretty straightforward. Metro's not transferring him to our custody until the morning, so I sent McGee home.'

He blinked again, surprised that Gibbs wasn't raising hell about the local LEOs interfering with his investigation.

'Tomorrow? And you...'

'...can't file the paperwork until tomorrow anyway, and didn't feel like getting into a pissing contest with Metro over something that won't make any difference. If they want to do our babysitting for us, let them.'

'Uh... okaaaaay,' he began, still not entirely convinced that the Gibbs he knew had ceded the symbolic victory. Deciding that his boss must have his reasons, whether he intended to share them or not, he turned back towards his desk and reached for his recently-discarded coat. 'I'll just head home myself, then.'

'No.'

Tony froze. That tone of voice was never a good sign. He looked up, not sure he wanted the answer to his unasked question. Gibbs was already on his feet and heading towards the stairs.

'My place. Half an hour. Do not be late.'

The meaning behind the words thrown so casually over his boss's shoulder was unmistakeable.

But, as he frantically searched his brain, the reason for them eluded him. He couldn't remember disobeying any orders lately. He hadn't been reckless. Hell, he couldn't think of any way that he _could_ have been reckless during this fairly routine, and unusually short, investigation. His paperwork was up to date. He hadn't even been late getting in this morning.

So what the hell did Gibbs think he had done now?


	2. Chapter 2

Tony stepped into Gibbs's front hallway, his stomach doing a little flip of nervousness. It wasn't just that he was worried about the spanking that he was sure he was going to get, although he knew from far too much experience that that was a legitimate fear.

His real concern was that he still had no idea what he was supposed to have done.

He'd driven around as long as he'd dared, combing his mind, trying to come up with an answer. He'd even, briefly, considered not coming over at all, before he'd realized that Gibbs would probably hunt him to the ends of the earth, then drag him back here and whip him 'til he wouldn't sit down for a year.

He hoped that Gibbs wasn't too angry to talk about it, before he spanked him.

Because he didn't think that his relationship with his boss would survive another punishment that he didn't know he deserved.


	3. Chapter 3

'Boss?' he called out tentatively, already making his way towards the basement stairs.

'In the kitchen!'

Tony stopped in mid-stride, then re-directed himself in the direction of Gibbs's voice.

'You know, Boss, I have no idea wha....'

His protest died mid-word as he stepped through the kitchen doorway, his eyes falling immediately on the object positioned carefully in the centre of the table.

'What the hell?!' he squawked, the knot of fear he'd felt at the prospect of another undeserved spanking evaporating, only to be replaced with a rush of panic.

The pieces slotted into place, an almost-forgotten conversation with McGee springing immediately to mind. He had no idea how Gibbs had found out about his amusement at his probie's expense, but at the moment he had more pressing concerns.

Like why his boss had a riding crop on hand.

And whether he actually intended to use it on him!

'I would have thought you'd be able to recognise it, Tony. Considering that you told your partner all about how I've spanked you with it.'

'Boss... I... I was just....', he stammered, unsure how to reply to Gibb's matter-of-fact assertion, which freaked him out more than if he'd used one of his parade-ground barks.

'You were just torturing McGee because you knew that he gets freaked out when I have to punish him, and you figured he'd be gullible enough to believe you.'

'Uh... yeah.... But I....'

'He's a member of your team, Tony! Not some college rival that your frat brothers will give you kudos for tormenting!'

Tony didn't feel particularly reassured, now that his boss was sounding more like a pissed-off Marine.

'Boss, I....'

'How is he supposed to trust you to have his six, when you spend half your time hoping he'll land on it, so you can have a little laugh at his expense?'

'No, Boss...'

'And how do you expect him to take you seriously when you really try to warn him about something, if he thinks you're just as likely to be _lying_ to him?'

'Boss, I...'

'Tony, do we really need to revisit the question of how teammates need to be able to _rely_ on one another? Because I thought we'd already dealt with that...'

'C'mon, Boss! I don't... I... I mean... I _know_ he's... I mean... he's like an annoying little brother, sometimes, you know? And I can't resist... I mean... it doesn't mean I... uh...'

'So you see him as _family_, and you still think that scaring the crap out him for you own amusement is acceptable?

'Well, if you put it like that....'

'How the hell else do you want me to put it?!'

'Uhhhhh....'

'And how do you think I felt, Tony, watching Tim damn near hyperventilate this afternoon, because you've got him so freaked out that he can't tell the difference between discipline and abuse?'

'Abuse?! Boss, I didn't think....'

'I wish you damn well _would_ think, Tony!'

'Ok! I'm sorry! What do you want me to...'

'I want you to pull your act together and stop making me deal with this adolescent crap from you! Now, get over here!'

Gibbs gestured at the table, and Tony reluctantly moved towards it and leaned over, the riding crop right under his nose.

'You're not going to use... uh... the... you know... the... YEOW!'

Tony craned his neck around, the question no longer necessary, but now desperate to see what devilish implement Gibbs was using instead of the riding crop. His eyes widened at the sight of the object that his boss had clearly taken from the counter while he was getting into position.

'A cutting board?! Boss, you can't be ser...'

'You couldn't tell the difference between a cutting board and a paddle, when I had you make yours...'

Tony groaned, remembering the long, unpleasant evening spent in his boss's basement workshop.

'...so I figured it would make a decent substitute.'

Gibbs punctuated the sentence with another hard swat.

'OW!'

'Seems pretty effective to me!'

'Come on, Gibbs... HEY!.... OW!'

Gibbs ignored his protests and continued paddling him, hard, each stroke adding to the fire already burning in his backside. Tony yelped and panted his way through the spanking, trying to ignore the warm scent of leather that was providing a constant reminder of why he was in this position. The riding crop looked even more menacing, from this close distance, and he realized just how freaked out McGee probably would be about the prospect of it being applied to his backside.

Suddenly, to his horror, it occurred to him that Gibbs hadn't actually said that he wasn't going to use the crop. What if the cutting-board-paddle was just the opening act? He knew, now that the initial shock had passed, that Gibbs wouldn't actually _use_ it, for real. His boss's punishments were never unreasonable, and he had just described a whipping with a riding crop as abusive. But... what if he decided to give him a token couple of stokes, just to make a point? The thought of even a single lash with the leather-wrapped... _just what is that thing made of, anyway?_... was enough to make his blood run cold. Gibbs wouldn't... would he?

Finally, the onslaught ended. Tony was sobbing hard, but he heard Gibbs putting the cutting board down on the table. His whole body tensed in anticipation but, to his relief, Gibbs didn't reach for the riding crop. Instead, he held him wordlessly in place, rubbing soothing circles on his back, but also keeping the riding crop directly in his line of sight.

Tony wasn't sure if that was deliberate.

He shut his eyes and concentrated on getting his breathing under control. Finally, with a ruffle of his hair, Gibbs let him stagger to his feet, squeezing his shoulder in a one-armed hug.

Tony winced, still feeling like his ass was on fire. He gulped for air a few more times, swallowing hard before he worked up the nerve to ask, 'Why the hell do you have a riding crop?!'


End file.
